1.What role has leadership played in the success of Southwest Airlines?
             At the center of the leadership strategies of Southwest Airlines is the culture founder Herb Kelleher diligently worked to create with the other founders and first employees of the airline (Keidel, 2005). The founders realized that defining the values they wanted their company based on would best be permeated throughout the company culture through their example. They all, including Mr. Kelleher, are strong believers in leading through example (Hardage, 2006). What differentiated the leadership approach of Southwest relative to other low-cost airlines is the focus on a high-trust, knowledge-based strategies that give employees the freedom to transcend rules to serve customers as efficiently and completely as possible (Kochan, 2006). Integral to the success of the Southwest business model is their low-cost, high service value proposition (Rhoades, 2006). Mr. Kelleher and the founders of Southwest made the business model work by continually stressing the delivering of exceptional service every day an integral part of the companyi¿½s culture.
             2. What is the key to Southwesti¿½s continued success under leaders like Colleen Barrett who have followed Herb Kelleher?
             First, the culture has become ingrained with the values of being one based on a high-trust, high knowledge and this continues today with a culture committee that rotates employees from each business unit and department to keep it relevant and updated to the needs of the company (Laszlo, 1999). Second, the companyi¿½s approach to managing for exceptional service continues with more awards and recognition being given to employees who deliver exceptional service to customers. In an industry where customer expectations have risen while quality of service has degraded over recent years, Southwesti¿½s approach on giving employees the freedom to serve customers is revolutionary (Kochan, 2006).
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